Poulin's Slow Start Leads To Trade Talk

Poulin Trade May Be In Works

AVON — Paul Holmgren says Patrick Poulin will be one of the premier power forwards in the NHL some day.

Poulin certainly has the size and skill for the job. If only he had the confidence.

"It's a little bit low," Poulin said Sunday after a light skate at the Whalers' practice facility in Avon.

This has not been a stellar beginning for Poulin, 20, a 6-foot-1, 208-pound left wing. Entering his second full season in the NHL, he has been mostly ineffective on offense and troublesome on defense. Poulin has one goal, one assist and is minus-4 in five games.

Although he is considered part of the foundation of the Whalers' rebuilding plan, Holmgren did not hesitate to take Poulin and his center, Michael Nylander, out of the lineup for four consecutive games.

"Sure, it was a little bit disappointing, but the team was winning," said Poulin, the Whalers' first-round draft choice in 1991. "It was a lesson for me. He told me I wasn't playing physical enough and that's what I've tried to do the last couple of games."

Holmgren, the coach and acting general manager, said Poulin's play has improved since he returned to the lineup in Toronto last Tuesday. But it still isn't what it should be after Poulin's rookie season, when he had 20 goals and 51 points in 81 games.

"The thing he's not doing consistently is skating," Holmgren said. "At times he did [Saturday night, a 3-3 tie with Buffalo at the Civic Center] but a lot of times he's standing still and coasting. I think he's not looking to shoot and always looking to pass.

"But I'm not unhappy with him since he has been back. He's taking the body, he's strong in the corners. But I'd still like him to skate more and shoot more, like Geoff [Sanderson] is doing."

Poulin's performance has done little to quell the trade rumors that have cropped up recently.

"I read the papers," Poulin said. "There's rumors all the time. This time it's my turn."

Holmgren doesn't appear to be in a rush to make his first trade since replacing Brian Burke and becoming acting general manager Sept. 8. Holmgren said he won't mortgage the future for short-term gain, but he also hasn't ruled out trading a young forward.

"At some point, we might look at moving one of our young forwards," Holmgren said. "If a deal came along that would make our team better, I would not be opposed to moving a young player.

"I think they're valuable assets. [But] the worst thing for us is to make a move out of panic. It has to be a well thought out thing. If you give something of value up, you have to get something of value back. We just haven't gotten to that point with any team we've talked to."

Holmgren denied a report in the Chicago Tribune Sunday that a deal to acquire holdout right wing Steve Larmer was imminent. The report indicated a deal would involve Larmer and Chicago defenseman Frantisek Kucera in exchange for Poulin.

Larmer's agent, Larry Kelly, said he was told by Chicago GM Bob Pulford that a deal is close. Kelly also indicated in the story that the Whalers had agreed to contract terms with Larmer. The deal would be for around $1.2 million a year for three years.

Said Pulford: "I didn't tell [Kelly] that at all. There's no truth to that."

Holmgren said he is not close to any deal, nor has he agreed to contract terms with Larmer.

But there are indications the Whalers have talked extensively with the Blackhawks, though any deal probably would involve defenseman Bryan Marchment, not Kucera. And it likely would be a three-way deal.

Detroit is interested in Larmer but the Red Wings haven't been able to work out a deal with the Blackhawks. If Larmer were acquired by the Whalers, he probably would be sent to Detroit for a young forward, possibly center Mike Sillinger, 22.

Sillinger has been mentioned in trade talks with Chicago but the Red Wings might be hesitant to trade a center with Steve Yzerman out for a month with a herniated disk in his upper back, suffered last week. That could be a key holdup in any deals right now.

Larmer, 32, doesn't fit with the Whalers' rebuilding plan and he probably would prefer to play for a Stanley Cup contender. Detroit is considered one of the top teams in the league despite a 3-6 start.

As for Poulin, he made it known he would prefer to play for the Whalers.

"I like Hartford," he said. "I'd like to be here. I'd be disappointed if I was traded."

Zalapski back this week Defenseman Zarley Zalapski, out the past four games because of a sprained right knee, hopes to start skating today or Tuesday. It's possible he could be back in the lineup by Saturday, when the Whalers play the Rangers at the Civic Center. ... The Rangers also are looking to deal and have scouted the Whalers. They have their eye on several players including captain Pat Verbeek, who is close to untouchable -DE Updated: YY93 MM10 DD27